Hello my friend and welcome back! In today’s post, we are going to look at creating electricity in a post SHTF world, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
I have to tell you that this is a subject that is near and dear to me, as well as being one I constantly worry about. If the power grid were to be taken out by a Cyber-attack, or an economic crash were to take place, you would quickly find yourself looking for ways to create your own electricity. There are things that you can get now that will go a long way, when you need electricity and there is none available. Now for today’s post, we are not looking at an EMP attack because that would create a completely different situation.
So just what would you need electricity for in a post SHTF world? After all, the entire internet will in almost any case be down for a very long time if not for good. So what do we still need electricity for? Many people today think that without the internet, there is no point in having electricity and nothing could be further from the truth. Things you will need it for are lighting, so you could see at night, radios so you can find out what is going on in the country and the world. You will need it to power you water pumps because the city water will most likely be not working or not drinkable. A water pump and the power to run it could mean the difference between surviving and not.
I know a lot of people who think they will just hook up a couple of solar panels to some old car batteries and run their whole house with it. Another belief that is common is all you need to do is to get an old alternator off of a car and attach a fan blade to it then stick it on a pole. Again they figure they can hook up a couple of car batteries to it and it will keep them charged. Anyone who believes either of these theories is fooling themselves.
The fact is you need to start preparing now for when that happens. You are going to want to get what you will need to create power now and not later. If you are going to go the Solar Power route, you will need several 100 watt solar panels, at least 6 or more and a voltage regulator system, to keep from over charging your batteries. The same is pretty much true with the wind turbine power, except you will need a wind charging regulator for it. They are not the same and are something you should purchase now before it all goes bad. In a post SHTF world, all of these items will disappear off of the shelves quickly. Another thing you need to consider is the batteries you plan to use with the system. If you are planning to run your whole house on electricity generated from either of these methods, you will need 10 or 12 good deep cycle batteries for a standard size home and you need to use it sparingly. You would need more if your house is bigger.
Another item you will need for creating AC power is a good heavy-duty inverter. These are not cheap and you are not going to get 110 volts without one. The next thing you need to think about is wire and lots of it! You will need heavy gauge wire, especially for long runs. There are a ton of websites that you can go to for more information on just what you will need and how to set it up. Do this before it all falls apart.
Something else to consider are the small solar power systems that are made for charging rechargeable batteries and can also recharge many devices as well, such as tablets and cell phones. ( I wouldn’t hold out much hope that cell towers will still be working for long if at all.) The point I am trying to make here is don’t just think you know how to build these systems, but take the time now to learn how to do it and get the materials you will need. While I do know that there are other ways out there to generate electricity such as a water wheel, etc these are the most common and should be considered seriously.
Well that is it for today and I hope that you have enjoyed today’s post. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared! God Bless America!
-The Sargent-
